Effect of student ethnicity on interpersonal skills and objective standardized clinical examination scores

Objective: To determine whether standardized patients' perceptions of medical students' ethnicity influenced ratings on the interpersonal skills subsection of the objective standardized clinical examination (OSCE) and performance overall on the OSCE. Methods: The OSCE is used to evaluate medical students' performances in the obstetrics and gynecology basic clerkship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. It is based on a series of standardized patient interviews conducted by medical students and incorporates ratings by standardized patients on each student's interpersonal skills. Medical students (n = 353) enrolled in the obstetrics and gynecology basic clerkship from 1995-1998 were classified according to ethnicity. Overall OSCE scores according to ethnicity were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Total interpersonal skills scores and scores on the individual components of the interpersonal skills section of the OSCE were analyzed according to students' ethnicity using the Kruskal-Wallis test for nonparametric analysis of variance. Results: There were no statistically significant differences among ethnic groups in overall OSCE scores, total interpersonal skills scores, or scores on the individual components of the interpersonal skills section of the OSCE. Conclusion: No bias attributable to perceived medical student ethnicity that affects performance on the OSCE exists. (C) 2000 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.